


Happy Endings Depend On Where You End The Story

by Icarusdg, zeechan04



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Angst, Discussion of Gun Violence, Happy Ending, I promise, M/M, discussion of blood loss, no one dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-05 04:07:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19040818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Icarusdg/pseuds/Icarusdg, https://archiveofourown.org/users/zeechan04/pseuds/zeechan04
Summary: Getting caught by Gin didn't sound like good luck for Conan and getting shot sounded even worse for KID but some how it all worked out for the best.





	1. Conan Gets Caught?

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo much thanks to Zee for the beautiful art pieces and awesome idea for this fic! 
> 
> See at: https://zeechan04.tumblr.com/post/185260587363/fic-by-icarusdg-art-by-zeechan04-part-of
> 
> Also, this will be seven short chapters, one posted every day so enjoy!

 

 

You’d think he’d learn by now; all of this started because he was careless while following a criminal and now it was happening all over again. Haibara was going to kill him if he didn’t get himself killed first. She refused to give him the phone number for this very reason and now… well, technically his plan worked.

Conan had the brilliant idea to call _that_ number as Sharon Vineyard, using his bowtie, and request a meeting with “you know who.” To top it off he threw in a “Oh, be sure to invite Gin too, it will rile him up when he finds out.” Brilliant. Not so brilliant was the idea to show up alone, to tell no one about the meet, and to plan to not only spy, but to place a tracker on the mystery man. While it was true he couldn’t be sure who would show up, it wasn’t like he could out right insist the boss show up and he didn’t know if “you know who” would get him the boss, his number two man, or some other person she’s been known to have a fling with (which, eww; he did not need that thought in his head), he did know who ever it was would be able to at least lead him in the direction of the answers he was seeking. Of course, asking for Gin was like tempting death and… he made a mistake. He could hear Ran now, yelling at him for being so oblivious to the things around him when he got caught up in a case. Crazy how what little self preservation he had used Ran’s voice to be heard.

To be clear, the plan had gone perfectly. Gin and an unknown man were lured out to a secluded and abandoned property in a rather neglected street resembling a ghost town. Conan chose the area because it had a large number of places to hide without risking innocent people. As Conan, he had access to areas no one would think to look and that no adult would be able to reach if they did. While the two did express confusion at the lack of a Sharon Vineyard, both assumed she would show herself in her own time, being the performer that she was. Conan had even managed to bug the room discretely enough to fool Gin; the entire conversation from start to finish was recorded. The problem came when he tried to get closer after planting trackers under the bumpers of each car. The trackers looked like small band-aids and would fall off after about a week; plenty of time to gather enough information for a next step, but soon enough that it would most likely go unnoticed. As he drew nearer the pair however, he began to clearly hear the conversation and _that_ was his downfall. Conan tripped over a can which made enough noise to echo throughout the building and even the empty street beyond. This lead to his next mistake; Gin was willing to bring out the heavy artillery in _any_ circumstance. That meant, perfect hidey hole or not, unless he was surrounded by steel walls, Gin was going to shoot it to hell and back leaving very little Conan bits behind. He had no choice but to run.

The night just kept getting better. As Conan ran down halls, through doors and windows, and alleyways, his mind took to reminding him just how stupid he had been. Haibara had every right to kill him after it was over if by some miracle Gin didn’t get to him first. Getting killed or caught would be nothing compared to what everyone else would suffer. His secret was her secret and if they found him, found the truth about Shinichi, _everyone_ would be killed. Haibara would lose everyone for a second time in her life. Even the Detective Boys would be at risk. While his identity was backed with more than when he first started, the birth certificate and general background would fall apart under any sort of proper investigation. His parents got the help of professionals to build his new identity but there was only so much they could do when he already made up a name on the spot. His life was a house of cards and although he managed a little tape here and there after it was built, any strong breeze could still knock it down, crushing all the people who knew Conan beneath it.

With that thought on his mind, Conan turned down a dead end. He found himself facing brick walls on three sides with nothing for cover but a long forgotten dumpster. He turned to run back, to find another way, but they were too close. In his child sized body, Conan’s running strides were half that of an adult and they were close enough that they would see him if he went back out. His only choice was to hide behind the dumpster which wasn’t much of a choice at all. As quietly as possible, Conan hid behind the dumpster, still far too exposed, without even a cardboard box for cover. He took to breathing quietly through his mouth, absolutely still, straining to hear any sound over the violent breathing of his heart. _Nothing. Wait_ … _footsteps_. Gin wasn’t one to verbally terrorize his prey; instead he terrorized them with the absence of sound. Only the confident steps of a predator echoed through the alley. _This is it…I’m sorry._


	2. Kaito Kid, The White Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone has come to Conan's rescue but will he need rescuing in turn?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I read over this chapter several times so obviously it's going to be riddled with mistakes. I hope everyone enjoys it despite that. XD

  


“My my, what do we have here? A couple of miscreants chasing shadows?”

While Conan couldn’t see a thing and wouldn’t risk moving to do so, he _knew_ _that voice_.

“Over here dear criminal, can’t you see the difference between the shadows you chase?” _Bang! Bang!_ “Nu-uh, wrong direction Villain-chan!”

KID was going to get himself killed.

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_ “Has anyone ever told you you’re a horrible shot?” KID clicked his tongue; it sounded like his voice was coming from everywhere. “Here, let me show you how it’s done.” 

Conan heard the familiar _twang_ of KID’s card gun followed by the sound of a gun falling to the ground far closer to him than he’d like and three more gunshots in quick succession just as close.

“See Villain-chan, that is how you properly disarm someone.” This time it sounded like Gin emptied an entire clip.

He really had to be lucky after that.

“Hmm, if you don’t mind me asking Villain-chan, did you and your associates try for the classic cartoon villain look or did that come natural.” Gin definitely had to be holding a gun in each hand to fire that many bullets.

“Don’t worry Villain-chan, cartoon evil villain looks good on you.” _Where was Gin even getting that many bullets from?_ “Although, have you thought about trying a woodland fairy look? You’re hair would work great with a flower crown and I can really see you dropping the solid black for some pastels.” Gin _growled_.

_You really did it now KID._

The sound of shoes twisting on asphalt and quick, heavy footsteps away alerted Conan to KID’s success in diverting attention from him… and far too much attention on himself. Nevertheless, he was sure KID could manage; he survived an exploding train car before.

_Bang! Bang!_ There was silence for a moment, then…  _Bang! Bangbangbang!_ It sounded like Gin  had _maybe_ los t his temper and  was well on his way to shooting at random in every direction .

The sounds were slowly getting further away, sometimes coming closer from a different direction before drifting away again.  Conan considered coming out of his hiding place and making a run for it but Gin really was shooting everywhere and he’d be lucky if he didn’t get hit by a stray bullet somewhere along the way.  _And what happened to the mystery man?_

A few moments later, Conan was glad of his decision.

A sigh. “Gin.” Then the sound of someone turning and calmly walking back down the alley and away from him.

Conan didn’t move for a long time after than and instead listened to the sound of KID’s taunts and Gin’s guns. It was like the ebb and flow of the ocean; coming closer before moving away again, further than before.  _But Gin was persistent… relentless._

The sound of an explosion scared Conan so much he held his breath. _1...2...3…_ the sound of bricks falling, sirens coming... _4...5...6..._ more gunshots… _7...8...9..._ KID’s boisterous, mad laughter. Conan let out his breath.

He was going to have to leave soon if he didn’t want to explain to the police what he was doing in the middle of a war scene. _Just a little longer_.

In the distance Conan heard the last of the gunshots followed by silence. _Gin was leaving_. Looking to the sky, Conan hoped for a glider as proof that KID was okay. He waited, hoped, eyes straining for _something_. Finally, a little white triangle in the distance and Conan felt his shoulders relax… then tense all over again. He had a bad feeling.

Conan watch the glider until it was too far, then used the zoom on his glasses to watch a little longer. _It’s too steady, going the wrong direction_. That wasn’t KID.

It might not mean anything, KID used decoy gliders all the time at heists. Conan weighted his options. Lost in thought, he nearly missed the sound of someone running toward his alleyway and then stop. _Please be KID._

“Hurry up. Even if you are good at what you do, you can’t just shoot up whole streets or blow up helicopters whenever you want something.” _Silence_.

Both men quickly walked away, back toward the cars. A few minutes later Conan heard the sound of the cars starting and quickly speeding away. _At least that’s over_. That left the question of, what happened to KID? He’s good at getting out of impossible situations but… Gin was better.

The sirens were getting closer.

He had a bad feeling.

The sirens were getting closer still.

He had to find KID.


	3. Kaito Kid, The Injured

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conan's worse fears have come true and now he has to find KID before it's too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really REALLY love this chapter and I hope everyone reading this does too!
> 
> AND OMG THE ART!!!

Trying to separate out the crisscrossing paths of bullet shells, it felt like an eternity to Conan before he thought he was going in the right direction. It seemed impossible that _that_ many bullets came from one man but he never heard another person move, not even the mystery man seemed to draw a gun.

Finally, Conan felt like he was getting somewhere; he found the blown out wall. There was a pile of bricks next to what looked to have once been the wall of a restaurant. _He must have hit a gas tank_. Bits of twisted metal and charred brick littered the street as well as the glass of a couple of blown out windows. _I hope KID is okay_. He wasn’t.

Just past the building Conan found a few drops of blood. Of course Gin was going to get him eventually; where Gin didn’t care who he hurt, KID looked out for more than just himself. He would have made sure no one was near, directed Gin’s attention away from populated areas, risked his life for one pathetic, shrunken Detective that he didn’t even really know aside from some vague understanding of his real identity. _Please don’t let it be that bad_.

Things were not looking up a few yards further down the road. The drops were coming faster, larger. From what he could tell, KID turned down the next street and… up. From the larger splatter of the blood drops he could tell they must of come from a greater height meaning he took to the roof. Using the fire escape, Conan climbed to the roof of the building and found KID must of stopped for a moment as soon as he got to the top. The blood pool was larger, small enough that he had to be alive still but large enough that he must be feeling lightheaded. Also in the near vicinity were more bullet casings. _Gin followed him up here._ He followed the trail to the opposite end of the building and found the trail ended at the ledge. _No. He couldn’t have jumped in that condition_. Conan found himself standing at the edge of a five story building and praying as he looked down to the alley below. No body. _Thank God_.

From that spot Conan looked for the alley where he hid before. _This must be where he sent off his decoy_ _from_. Sure enough, closer inspection uncovered the tell tell smoke screen capsule. _That would mean he is… where is he?_ There were no more drops of blood on that building other than what lead from one end to the other. Knowing there had to be an answer there somewhere, Conan moved to a higher vantage point and used the night vision feature in combination with the zoom feature on his glasses to scan all nearby buildings of the same height or less. _There_. Five buildings to the north he could see _something_ leaning against a skylight, blocking the light from inside the building. Not much was visible but it had to be him. It was far enough away that he wouldn’t be within the area of the crime scene. Conan climbed back down the fire escape and made his way to the building he suspected KID was on, dodging police cars and spotlights along the way. For the most part, the entire scene was already cordoned off but it was dark, police officers were still arriving, and those that were there were stretched thin.

Conan made it to the building and confidently walked through the front door. It was a residential building in one of the lower income neighborhoods where no one would make a fuss about a boy going home in the middle of the night. While the skylight would be considered odd in normal circumstances, in that building it stood as a representation of better times. When it was built, the apartments were designed to surround a central stairway, open from top to bottom with the skylight directly above and providing light on large work of art made of glass and reflective material. It was supposed to represent the light within people. The heart of the building. The art was long gone.

On the top floor, the lock to the rooftop was broken and Conan easily made his way outside again. He circled the skylight, looking for the figure he saw before. Conan nearly tripped over KID when he found him, huddled in black and blending with the shadows. _No, this isn’t KID right now_. The person in front of him was wearing black from head to toe, a black cap covering his hair and face just as it had that time during the teleportation heist. 

Because of the coverage from the cap, Conan couldn’t see KID’s eyes, couldn’t tell if he was awake. What Conan could tell was KID wasn’t in good shape. KID’s breathing was labored; despite the shadows, blood glistened in the light of the moon. Conan tried to move closer, slipped, and held his breath when he realized there was a lot more blood here. _No. He can’t die here. He can’t die._ Unsure of where to begin, Conan tried again to get closer, stepping carefully and trying to ignore the wet sound beneath his feet. Once he was close enough to touch, Conan reached for the cap, needing to see if he was awake, alert. Before he could get too close, KID’s hand shot out and grabbed his wrist tight. Despite the blood loss, his grip was tight enough to ground the bones and leave bruises.

“KID!”

For a moment, Conan was afraid, unsure of what KID would do if he didn’t realize Conan was just trying to help, then the grip loosened. Beneath the cap, KID smiled, just a little, nothing like his usual smirk or wide grin.

“Shinichi.” His voice is so faint, Conan wasn’t sure he heard it at first but then, his hand loosened more and fell.

“ KID!! KID WAKE UP!!”  _ No, not like this. Please, not like this. _


	4. Am I Dead?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conan asks KID to hang on and KID becomes Kaitio.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear this has a happy ending!

He felt like he was floating… or maybe sinking. He didn’t feel like he was breathing and he didn’t feel his heart beating. He didn’t even hurt. _Why should I be in pain?_ And he was tired, so tired, couldn’t keep his thoughts focused. Somewhere he knew something was off but...what? Then it came, a voice calling to him. It sounded desperate, sad… like maybe… but he couldn’t focus on it. _I need to, need to do something._ He kept drifting. Sometimes he would see white in the corner of his eye but he couldn’t turn to it, couldn’t move at all. Sometimes the white was a pair of glasses instead. Again the voice came, the person was definitely crying, big hiccuping sobs between words he couldn’t understand. _Why can’t I—what am I missing?_ The voice was getting stronger and isolated words started getting through the fog. _“Please… up… please wake… move… need...”_ It wasn’t making sense, he didn’t know what he needed to do but the desperation was was getting to him, getting beneath his skin, _hurting_. _Everything hurts_. The white thing was getting clearer and he could tell it was flowing like cloth or a flag. _Or a cape_. The memories were there, just out of his reach. _“Please wake up.”_ He didn’t know what it meant, why was someone telling him to wake up? _“_ _Please. You can’t die here, don’t die, not here, not now.”_ Even thought he heard the words, he still couldn’t understand. _I’m dying?_

“KID!”

All at once it hit him.  _ Oh,  _ _ T _ _ antei-kun.  _ Shinichi was right, he needed to wake up.

“Please open your eyes KID, wake up!”

That sounded easy enough. Then again, maybe not. The pain was getting worse; his eyelids were so heavy and his limbs felt like they were being swallowed by quicksand.

“Please KID! Don’t—don’t leave.”

He heard a fresh round of sobs.  _ There’s no way I can hide my identity now, _ _ I guess  _ _ he’ll be calling me Kaito after this. _ The thought sent a flutter through him and gave him the energy to open his eyes. Watery blue eyes were the first thing he saw.  _ Shinichi. I’m sorry I’ve made you so sad. _ Gone were  the too large glasses and in their place were tear tracks with fresh tears streaming down his face.  At that moment, he looked like  _ Conan _ ; a child, lost and afraid of being left behind,  alone .

“Crying over this little old phantom thief, Tantei-kun? Be careful, I might think you care.”

Startled out of his sob, Conan’s eyes brightened. “Baka, I’m not crying. I’m—I… don’t move, I already  called Haibara and  Hakase. They’ll be here soon.” Conan didn’t bother trying to hide how he wiped his eyes with his sleeves.  _ My cute tsundere detective. _

“Not moving, Tantei-kun.  I’ll stay right here while you rescue me.” He was starting to feel sleepy again.  _ Not yet. _ “My hero tantei, what is this world coming too when a detective rescues a thief?”

“ You saved me first, I’m only returning the favor.”

That’s right, he had been scouting an escape route for his next heist. Something made him turn off course. He didn’t know if it was instinct, fate, or something even more mysterious but he followed the feeling all the way to a dead end alley with one lone dumpster and  two mysterious men in black. And one cowering, shrunken detective. “I couldn’t let my favorite detective get killed, could I?”

Conan smiled at him, tears still falling but much less desperate than before.

“I suppose you couldn’t.”

He wondered what was going on in that brilliant mind. Was he blaming himself? Did he think of him as a friend? Or something else?  _ I hope its something else. _

For the first time he realized he was laying on the ground.  _ Did Shinichi move me when I blacked out? _ His thoughts were starting to drift away.  _ I want him to call me by my name. Just this once… if I—at least this one time. _

“Shinichi?”

For a moment, the small boy froze, breath held. Then quietly, “Yes?”

Shinichi was giving him this and he hoped that meant it would be okay. “Please, call me by my name. Call me Kaito.”

“Okay…  _ Kaito _ .”

_ This is everything I thought it would be and so much more _ . Kaito smiled as his eyes drifted closed. He wanted to stay with him, stay awake just a little bit longer, but he was so tired. And happy.  _ I want to hear him call my name again, always. _

“Kaito… thank you.”

That was the last thing he heard as his mind faded away again.


	5. So, Not Dead?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaito wakes up, Shinichi is beyond embarrassed, and Haibara gives relationship advice. It's all a little surreal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am soooooo sorry I missed a day! Yesterday morning was hectic and I accidentally took a 5 and a half hour nap XD

The next time Kaito woke up everything was bright white and he had to close his eyes again. _Where am I_? Thinking over the question, Kaito was getting nowhere until a single thought jumped to the forefront of his mind. _Shinichi_. Only the years of training kept Kaito from trying to jump up. It was for the best that way; Kaito felt like he crashed his glider into the side of a cliff… repeatedly. Following that realization, Kaito decided to change directions and catalog all the injuries he had, trying to remember how he got them along the way. _I was definitely shot… twice… 3… maybe 4 broken ribs… some bruised ribs if my breathing is anything to go by...headache… a cut maybe...can’t remember…. Definitely a concussion._ He remembered Shinichi… guns… an explosion… but those thoughts were disjointed.

Taking a break from trying to remember, Kaito instead tried to open his eyes again. It took a long while and a lot of squinting, but Kaito finally managed to open his eyes and look at his surroundings. _Shinichi’s room_. That was all it took for Kaito to remember what happened. _Shinichi was in trouble… Shinichi._ Trying to hold back his panic, Kaito looked around the room before his eyes fell on the small boy sitting in the chair beside his bed and leaning over to rest his head by Kaito’s hand. He was sound asleep and something about being hunched over the way he was made him look that much more small and fragile in a way the poison never could. _He must have stayed here the whole time._

Shinichi looked so much more like himself without the glasses; it shouldn’t be possible for a pair of over sized glasses to make that much of a difference but they really were the difference between Shinichi and Conan. At that moment, he was looking at a face that was far more Shinichi than Conan. Despite the obvious exhaustion, Shinichi’s hair looked so soft and touchable....S _o do his lips._ Kaito couldn’t resist reaching out to comb his fingers through his hair to find out if it really was as soft as it looked. _If only I could reach his lips too_.

“Not going to try pulling a coin out of my ear are you?”

A startled laugh bubbled from Kaito’s lips followed by a pained groan. _Yup, broken ribs all right_.

“How could you accuse me of something so crass! I would never!”

All Kaito got from Shinichi was disbelieving raised eyebrow.

“I was going for a rose.” With a little flourish, Kaito held out a red rose in his hand and tucked it behind the little detective’s ear. “To match your cute blush.”

Shinichi turned his bright red face further into the bedding and mumbled something into the sheets.

“What was that Meitantei?” Kaito took great pleasure in teasing the detective.

Turning just enough to be heard, Shinichi uttered a faint ‘baka...thank you’ before turning his face back into the mattress.

“Welcome, dear!”

Haibara took that moment to walk into the room with the intention of checking on her patient. “No seducing detectives who can’t keep themselves out of trouble until you heal, KID.” Despite her small stature, the scientist was a force of nature who lived to torture certain little shrunken detectives; or so Shinichi believed.

“Haibara!!” Fast enough to cause whiplash, Shincihi shot up from the bed, yelling at the little scientist before crashing back down with a groan in embarrassment.

Shinichi looked like he would never pick his head up off the bed so instead Kaito took to running his fingers through his detective’s hair. “But Ojou-san, I need to make sure he falls in love with me!”

The two ignored the muffled ‘oh my God I can’t believe this is my life’ in favor of continuing the conversation.

“I don’t think that will be a problem, he was pretty distraught, holding your hand tightly and crying, when we made it up to the rooftop he found you on. I’m pretty sure he’s been in love with you since the Black Star heist. At the very least, you weren’t the one he was jealous of when you nearly stole a kiss from Mouri-san during the airship heist.”

Again, the two ignored Shinichi’s continued whine which was along the lines of, ‘please put me out of my misery and kill me now.’

“Aww, all he had to do was ask, I would have given him a kiss instead!”

That was as much as Shinichi could take; without a word (maybe a small whine from the loss of Kaito’s fingers in his hair) Shinichi stood up walked out of the room with a blush that bordered on unhealthy.

Kaito missed his fingers in Shinichi’s hair too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here on out we are done with angst (probably) and we are two chapters away from the end!


	6. Food For Thought

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected heart to heart gets Kaito thinking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I keep apologizing for missing days but I hope having 2 chapters today helps! I finished both I just need to do some formatting and figure out a little something and I'll post the second chapter soon.

“You are unbelievably lucky to even be awake right now much less alive. You have a concussion, a cut just inside your hairline by your left temple which I had to put five stitches in, you were shot in the left arm and were lucky enough that the bullet missed the bone and major arteries, you were shot through your right lower abdomen which you were also lucky enough that it missed anything vital, both bullets were through and through with little damage, you have three broken ribs which you were lucky enough not to puncture a rib with after all your jumping around, and you are covered from head to toe in scrapes and bruises.”

Kaito definitely felt like all of that and more. After Shinichi left the room he thought that would be it but, as soon as his detective was gone, the little scientist rounded on him.

“Going head to head with Gin and coming out that lightly; you used up any normal person’s good luck times two! _Never_ antagonize Gin like that again! You better hope he doesn’t realize you’re KID or worse yet, figure out your real identity! Did you ever think what would happen if Gin went after you at a heist?! How many _hundreds_ of people would be injured—killed!?! Gin is a ruthless murderer, he doesn’t care who gets caught in the crossfire, doesn’t care who he has to kill to get his target, doesn’t care if he has to blow up a whole train to get one scientist—remember that?!?” Haibara took a moment to catch her breath and try to calm herself down. She didn’t mean to get so worked up. 

Things were quite for a minute or two; Kaito gave her the space to collect herself while he thought over what she said. She was right. He didn’t think about the consequences. For a person who always thinks through a hundred different possibilities for every action, he didn’t think twice about doing what ever he could to keep Shinichi safe.

“I—thank you for saving that idiot. I don’t mean to imply that you shouldn’t have helped him out, I just want you to really think things through before jumping into this fight. When Gin wants someone dead… Kudo-kun and I are alive because of a freak accident. I can’t think of a single other person who has survived Gin. Kudo-kun was lucky that he wasn’t considered more of a threat by Gin, he would have killed everyone he knew before killing Kudo. You need to know that you are putting your friends and family at risk.”

“Ojou-san… I do understand the danger. While I admit I didn’t fully consider the consequences at the time, I’ve been aware of the risks to my loved ones from the moment I became KID. I’ll let you in on a little secret; I became KID for justice. Somewhere out there is an organization that killed someone very important to me and it might even be the same. I don’t know. But… I’ve dodged bullets before and I probably will again whether it be Gin or someone else. I know the risks, I fully accept them. I just put Shinichi first.”

Kaito may have been injured and unable to even partially sit up without help, but the determination in his eyes put Haibara at ease. “Thank you. Kudo-kun is… the world needs people like him. He did everything he could for my sister even when all he knew of her was that she robbed a bank. Even after he found out that I was the one that created the drug that changed him, he has never held it against me. Time and again he’s protected people who could just as easily kill him. Kudo-kun is an idiot but… the good kind.” Haibara fidgeted a little and looked intently at her own hands while she considered her next words. “For his sake, take care of yourself. When we found you and him he was… I don’t want to know what a broken Kudo Shinichi would be like.”

Silence took over the room once more. On one side, Haibara looked small and exposed, every bit her current physical age. On the other, Kaito busied himself by taking slow deep breaths to keep from thinking too much about the possibilities.  He knew Shinichi cried for him, had some idea of how afraid he was of losing him, but he hadn’t let himself think just how far it could go. He was well aware of his own feelings for the detective but… he never wanted to make his detective hurt like that. Not again.


	7. What Comes Next?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaito and Shinichi finally get a little time together to figure things out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just saying now, sorry this was so much more angst than planned.

Kaito was still lost in thought when the little scientist made her exit and his detective returned not too long after. The soft click of the door closing brought him back to his surroundings.

Shinichi looked so tired when he turned away from the door and began making his way back to the bed; Kaito wanted to pull him into his arms, get some sleep together, and forget about everything else for a while but… Shinichi looked like he had something on his mind. _I wonder if she talked to him too_.

As Shinichi made his way around the bed, Kaito watched how the weight of the world sat on his shoulders, making him look far older than even his real age. It was all out there for anyone to see if they looked closely; Shinichi was an old soul that had seen far more in his short time on earth than any human being should. An old soul that has seen too many innocent lives taken too soon. With the grace of someone conscious of their every move, Shinichi hopped up on the side of the bed and made himself comfortable by Kaito’s hip. He sat cross-legged, facing Kaito, hands loose and in his own lap. Something about it felt wrong; he was sitting right next to him like he wanted, _needed,_ to be close but kept his hands to himself like he was also keeping his distance. Kaito wouldn’t have that.

With some effort, Kaito reached for one of Shinichi’s hands, pulling him closer until he could intertwine his fingers with Shinichi’s. He looked up, hoping to see Shinichi’s eyes brighter, his face more open. What he saw was a faint blush and Shinichi watching their hands, but he still looked… lost. Kaito didn’t know how to fix that; he could tell Shinichi was thinking about him almost dying. Instead, Kaito looked back down to their hands, taking in how perfectly their fingers fit even if Shinichi’s hand was too small. He suspected he would think they fit no matter what Shinichi’s size.

Kaito pulled Shinichi’s hand closer, wanting to kiss it, when he noticed something just under his sleeve. “What’s that, under your sleeve?”

Shinichi tried to pull his hand back but Kaito refused to let him, holding his hand tighter. “Shinichi?”

Reluctantly, Shinichi gave in and let Kaito pull him closer to push up the sleeve. Bruises ringed Shinichi’s right wrist. Shinichi looked away. “What happened?”

Silence.

“Shinichi, did they…?”

More silence.

“Please Shinichi, tell me. Did they hurt you?” Kaito couldn’t stop the panic starting to pick up in him. _Did they get him? Did I mess up?_

Seeing Kaito, Shinichi finally opened his mouth. “No, it happened when I… when I found you, I needed to see if you were—if you had… I tried to push your cap back.”

_What does that have to do with it? Who hurt him—oh._ “I did this?”

Shrinking into himself more, Shinichi nodded. “I know you didn’t mean to, I don’t blame you or anything.”

_I keep hurting him._ “I’m so sorry Shinichi. I don’t remember any of that.”

“You weren’t really awake, then you called my name and you… I thought you...” Shinichi looked frustrated with himself; his behavior was really so uncharacteristic of him and… it was all Kaito’s fault.

“I’m sorry I keep hurting you. I was just trying to help you.” He wished he could fix it, lift the black cloud hanging over his detective.

“Its okay, I know you weren’t really awake and you didn’t know it was me at the time. What were you doing there anyway?” Kaito could see Shinichi didn’t want to talk about it so he went with the conversation change.

“Oh, I was… would you believe me if I said I was in the area?” It was Kaito’s turn to blush.

“No.”

“Right, so I was scouting for an upcoming heist. I… its hard to explain but I just felt like I needed to go in the direction you were. Call it fate.”

The two were quiet for a while, thinking over everything that happened. During that time, Kaito continued holding Shinichi’s hand, unwilling to let him go. Kaito thought over what that meant.

“Shinichi, where do we go from here?” He squeezed Shinichi’s hand to emphasize what he meant.

“I’m still in the body of a six year old, we can’t _go anywhere_ from here.” There was a trace of reluctance in his words.

“Says who?” Not one to conform to society’s standards, Kaito refused to give up on Shinichi just because it would be _hard_.

“Kaito, to everyone else I look like a child.”

“Kinky.”

“Baka.” Despite the heavy conversation, Shinichi smiled.

“I mean it though, if you’ll meet me halfway, I’m willing to work it out. You’re worth it, Shinichi.”

He knew things weren’t going to be easy; there was at least one criminal organization after them, their entire society against them, secret identities to uphold, but seeing the smile on Shinichi’s face… Kaito was ready to take on the world for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I decided to add a chapter, the previous chapter was an accident (Haibara was unexpectedly soft, oh my) and while this could end here, I still want something else.
> 
> I'm hoping to finish it tomorrow night but rl has a way of getting chaotic so I make no more promises.


	8. We Choose The Fairytale Happy Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And they lived, happily ever after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY! It just didn't want to end! I'm so excited for this and happy I finished and I hope the mistakes in this last chapter aren't too bad!

“Ladies and Gentlemen!”

Kaito would never tire of the thrill he got standing in front of his audience. He hadn’t even started yet but already the crowd was screaming, officers trying to get through, and all of it was just one step short of madness. It was exhilarating. Dressed as KID, he stood high above his audience, bowing to the crowd as his heist began.

Just as the officers made it half way down the wide promenade, a low groan echoed out from the ground; the sound made people think of earthquakes or sinkholes so as one, the audience stepped back and the officers followed, unsure if it was part of the show or not. Soon, small green things began erupting from the ground, few at first, sporadically spaced out, but soon those green things took on the image of trees and more began erupting faster than before. Vines wrapped around light posts, trees grew large enough to provide cover and leaves filled the dusky evening sky. Once the trees reached their full size, grass began growing in the space between, moss taking rest of the space but for little patches of the original walkway which now looked like paving stones, providing a path through the new forest. With greenery full grown, flowers began blooming. Small yellow, violet, orange, and pink flowers dotted the moss but larger palm sized blooms covered the vines. Even the trees flowered; white, pink and violet blooms weighted down their boughs, while roses climbed their trunks and flowered in every vibrant color possible. Beautiful peach blossoms grew from vines which dropped out of the trees leaving the impression of floating flowers. At the center of the circle of peach blossoms stood the display case with tonight’s heist. An elaborate pink stone in the shape of a lotus blossom with gold detailing holding all the pieces together. At the center, a large orange diamond.

All of it left KID’s audience in shocked silence, even the officers froze, the chase long forgotten. Slowly, the crowd entered the impossible forest, careful to step only in the open spaces for fear of crushing the tiny flowers growing through out the moss. The officers gradually shook off the last of the shock in the interest of joining the crowd in the forest. One brave soul plucked a vibrant orange rose only for the bloom to wither away and fall through their fingers like sand until there was nothing left.

In all, the forest took about half an hour to bloom and another half hour before the orange rose was cut. As soon as that happened, it was time for the heist to end. KID walked casually through the forest, not in the least insulted that no one chose to watch him over the magical forest that surrounded them. Even though the display was covered by a dome of glass, KID reached through the glass and pulled out the large stone, amused by his own magic even if no one else was watching. With a flick of his wrist, the stone was gone and KID made his way back through the forest and casually into the empty museum he originally stood on. 

The moment he stepped inside, a heavy rain began to fall outside despite there not being a single cloud in the sky. With the rain, the forest began melting away like paint being washed off a canvas. All around the audience outside, trees were melting away, getting shorter and shorter as flowers washed away like colorful paint being washed down the drain, all of it swirling away, down the promenade and into the sewer by the street. The rain fell, soaking the adventurous audience, until nothing was left but wet pavement. Once it was gone, audience and officers alike, soaked from the rain, looked around for a trace of what they just saw. Sometimes eyes met and a question passed with a look, _did you see what I saw?_

Meanwhile, KID made his way casually through the museum, sometimes waving at the cameras, until he made his way to the roof and the real garden the museum kept. Here too KID put his magic to work and what was once a fairly simple garden with a lot of open grassy space for their numerous sculptures, was now lined with flowering potted trees wrapped in fairy lights. The garden itself was decorated with flowering hibiscus and roses climbing small trellis and all of it centered around a large pool with an elaborate water feature and a wooden gazebo with an aged copper roof. The water feature looked like it was made of the same aged copper as the gazebo roof and appeared to be a complex tangle of vines holding up a cupped water lily pad. Housed in the center of the knot of vines sat a small fairy curled up with a book; the water itself fell from the pool held by the lily pad like a curtain all the way around only leaving a small opening to see the fairy. Directly in front of the water feature, with the opening facing it, was the gazebo. The small structure was surrounded by climbing red roses, leaving only the stairs and hand rails free. Inside, the open space housed only a wood swing large enough to hold two people. Ignoring everything else, KID’s eyes were drawn only to the swing where one full sized Kudo Shinichi sat.

Seeing the adult version before him always took KID’s breath away. The poison which had so drastically changed the detective’s life resulted in some permanent damage even after finding an antidote. In the end, Shinichi’s life could never be the same; his immune system was permanently compromised, he was noticeably thinner due to his new trouble building up muscle. Gone were the days when Shinichi could chase after criminals and live off of the blackest coffee. That was okay. He mostly focused on cold cases these days, digging through files either in the comfort of his own home or at his desk in the police precinct. Sometimes, when overprotective detectives were sure he would be safe and well guarded, Shinichi would investigate crime scenes himself. Of course, this only happened with the explicit approval of his over protective boyfriend.

“There’s no way you did that with out the help of an artist.” Shinichi looked up from his phone where he’d watched the live news broadcast of the heist and met the eyes of one Kuroba Kaito. No longer was he dressed in his trademark white suit and cape but instead the more casual jeans and button up dress shirt.

“A magician never tells, Meitantei.” Arriving at the top of the steps, Kaito bowed and presented Shinichi a red rose. “The loveliest rose for the loveliest man.”

Shinichi blushed but took the rose. By now, he was used to Kaito’s extravagant gestures. “So how much of this garden was already here and how much did you add?”

Kaito took his seat beside Shinichi and looked around as if examining the garden for the first time. “Why, detective, what makes you think I made any changes?”

Shinichi turned to Kaito and raised one eyebrow.

“Not much changed, just the trees and lights… and the roses… and fountain… oh and the gazebo.”

“How did you—the gazebo and fountain??” Shinichi could still be surprised by his thief’s over reaching romanticism. Then again, it was a large gazebo; the fountain had to be nearly two meters tall…. “Never mind, you impossible thief.”

At Shinichi’s pouting face, Kaito laughed a little to himself and reached over to lace their fingers together and bring Shinichi’s hand to his lips for a quick kiss. “Nothing is impossible if its done out of love.”

“Baka.” Even though Shinichi had turned his face away, Kaito could still make out the blush that reached his detective’s ears.

“Your baka.”

“ Yeah. Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who read this! Most importantly thank you to zee-chan for the beautiful art prompt and thank you to Mac for doing the kaishin big bang! I'm sorry this took me so long, every day was a struggle but I don't regret it in the least.
> 
> I hope everyone who read this enjoyed it!


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